83
(e)
UUNFIDENTIAD
Do we
Are there any British protected persons there? How many people are stateless but possess identity cards? Presumably such people can in' no sense be regarded as UK nationals? ever seek to protect them in any way? What formalities do the stateless people in Hong Kong have to go through in order to acquire UK citizen- ship? How many have in fact done so over the last 10 years?
5. We should also be grateful for your guidance whether there is any precedent for defining our nationals in an international Agreement only in terms of those of our citizens who have the right of abode in the UK itself.
such case and asserted that there We could think of no was none: were we right to do so?' Would it in your view be defensible to accept such a limited definition in an Agreement of this kind?
6. We are inclined to think that there might be some merit in giving other Governments to whom in future we propose the negotiation of an Investment Protection Agreement a piece of paper setting out the various categories of our nationals and explaining what is involved in cach category. Is there any short unclassified paper
which might serve this purpose?
7. I am sorry to impose this work upon you but we are quite clear that it would greatly facilitate future negotiations to have authoritative briefing on these points
16 December 1974
Cc:
b. Kai di
D M Kerr
Financial Relations Dept G 62/G G 209
Mr Aust (Legal Advisers K157A). Mr Spendlove (SEAD W83) Mr Stuart (HKIOD K246)
1.
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